Wilshere is warned by Uefa after betting tweet

Published on 11/07/2012 02:28

Jack Wilshere has received a warning from Uefa disciplinary chiefs after comments he made on Twitter suggesting he had bet on an Arsenal team-mate to score.

Uefa’s regulations forbid players from gambling on football matches in which their teams are involved and the England midfielder has now received an official warning. A Uefa spokesman said: “We confirm that the player has received a warning by Uefa’s control and disciplinary body.”

The 20-year-old had said on Twitter that Arsenal team-mate Emmanuel Frimpong was “worth a cheeky £10” to be the first scorer at long odds in the Champions League match against Olympiacos in December. Wilshere, who was in the middle of a long injury absence, then said after a near miss by Frimpong: “Frimmy nearly won me some money there!”

He later insisted that he had only been joking, tweeting: “I didn’t actually bet on the game. I know we’re not allowed to! I was only messing just to be clear.”

Meanwhile, Fifa will appoint next week the two figures who will play key roles in trying to banish corruption from soccer’s governing body, a decision that was originally due to be taken in May.

Fifa’s executive committee will hold a special meeting on
17 July to confirm the nominations for chairmen of the two chambers of its recently-reformed ethics committee.

The meeting will also discuss its recent decision to allow a team representing the former Serbian province of Kosovo to play friendly international matches.

Fifa’s Congress has already approved the decision to split the ethics committee which in the last two years has been responsible for investigating several cases of corruption. These related to the contest for the hosting of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and last year’s FIFA presidential election.

Although the ethics committee has banned a number of high-ranking officials, including Fifa presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam, who has been kicked out of the game for life, it has been criticised for not taking the initiative and only acting in the wake of media reports.

Top international prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, best known for pursuing war criminals, is expected to be named as head of the chamber responsible for investigating cases.